EL PASO COUNTY - The owner of a home that was a total loss following a fire was arrested for First Degree Arson Tuesday.

A call was received by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office of a house fire at 13645 Wild Oak Drive on July 22, 2009 at 4:00 a.m. A neighbor says he heard several explosions, then saw the home's garage on fire.  He called for help, then tried to wake the sole male resident by throwing pebbles against a window. The blaze quickly spread and intensified through the wood and brick home. Firefighters tried to search the home, but were forced to back away.

The rural area has no fire hydrants, so water had to be transported in on narrow dirt roads difficult for heavy vehicles to maneuver on.  That slightly delayed the response by firefighters, but they say the home already was beyond saving at that point.  Crews then concentrated on fighting the fire defensively to keep it from spreading into the forest. Crews worked for several hours on the fire but the house sustained significant damage and was a total loss.

Investigators searched for several days following the fire to contact the owner, 48 year old Mark Rance. He was finally located and interviewed about the fire. After an extensive investigation into the fire, an arrest warrant was obtained for Rance.

Rance was located and arrested November 17, at 8255 Forest Heights Circle. He is being charged with First Degree Arson. He is currently being held at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center on a $75,000 bond.

48-year-old Mark Rance is believed to be the last person living in the home on Wildoak Drive.  After looking into the property history with El Paso County's Public Trustees Office, NEWSCHANNEL 13 found that he bought the home in 1990.  However, it went into foreclosure in January of 2009.  He is no longer the owner.  JP Morgan Chase Bank now has the title.